Wednesday, July 15, 2026

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts launched to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan, docking three hours later for an eight-month science mission.^[1]

Scientists have developed a new framework that applies the laws of thermodynamics to real, dynamically changing black holes rather than only perfectly stable ones, potentially improving understanding of black hole mergers and gravitational wave events.^[2]

NASA has awarded nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028, with each mission carrying science instruments to improve lunar navigation, study landing dust, and map radiation as part of the agency's Moon Base program.^[3]

South Korea raised its 2026 economic growth forecast from 2 percent to 3 percent, with nominal GDP expected to expand at the fastest pace in three decades and exports projected to surge 40 percent, driven by semiconductor demand.^[4]

Tadej Pogačar won Stage 10 of the Tour de France on Bastille Day, becoming the first rider to win three stages on July 14 and extending his overall lead to 3 minutes 36 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard.^[5]

The European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope reached a major milestone when its 7.7-million-pound structure was rotated around its vertical axis for the first time, confirming the telescope can point at any area of the sky.^[6]

SpaceX is targeting July 16 for the 13th test flight of its Starship megarocket, which will attempt to deploy the first batch of upgraded Starlink Version 3 satellites into space from its Starbase facility in Texas.^[7]

Researchers at the University of Alabama developed an ultrasound treatment that may help prevent arthritis by influencing inflammation-related genes in immune cells, potentially offering a non-invasive approach to stop joint disease before it starts.^[8]

Scientists at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University created optical skyrmions—stable swirling light patterns with potential for future data storage and computing—using a simple laser and disc setup based on a 200-year-old optical phenomenon.^[9]

The 2026 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum opened in Seoul, bringing together 32 young professionals from 30 countries to discuss conservation and present recommendations at the upcoming UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan.^[10]